Many fast food restaurant food products, such as French Fries, Bread Sticks, Buffalo Wings, and Nachos, are traditionally served with a condiment. These food products are commonly served in quick scoop containers, with the accompanying condiments packaged in foil packets. This arrangement is sub-optimal for several reasons. First, because the product and the condiment are packaged separately, the user must remember to get the condiment before leaving the establishment. Second, the condiment container must be opened, and the condiment applied to the product by hand, which makes the food messy and difficult to handle. Moreover, because this activity requires two hands and two eyes, it is dangerous for those eating on the road: it impairs either their driving or their ability to apply the condiment without mess. Third, the user must dispose of the opened condiment packages, which may contain unused condiment that can leak out of the foil package.
A simpler and neater method of dispensing condiments in such situations is made possible by the composite food and condiment container of the present invention. First, the condiment is included in the package containing the food product, relieving the user from having to remember the condiments before leaving the restaurant. Second, the process of applying the condiment to the food product is greatly simplified. By pulling an extension, the user drops the food product into a condiment positioned directly below, and does not need to apply the condiment directly to the food or dip the individual food items into the condiment. Third, the condiment is applied away from the portion of the food the user is holding, reducing mess on the user's fingers. Fourth, the unused portion of the condiment is kept cleanly within the food container.
For theses reasons, there is a need for a composite food and condiment container that allows for a simpler and neater method of dispensing condiments as described in the present invention.
The composite food and condiment container described by this invention improves the convenience, cleanliness, and safety of the prior art. These benefits can be realized in many environments: at home, in school lunches and on picnics. However, these benefits are most evident at fast food restaurants, whose food products are often consumed while traveling.